Kyoshi's day
by DavidAlatriste
Summary: (Medieval AU) This is the story of the greatest king the Fire Nation has ever seen, for he turned a defeat into a humilliation of his enemies. Inspired by Henry V from Shakespeare


Prompts: (gender) Suspense,(word) Battle, (smell)Rain

A/N: This influenced by Henry V by William Shakespeare and therefore is a Medieval AU

Word count: 1,276 words

 _The Earth Army has cut our Noble King in his retreat to the safety of Jia Lai and now must face 5 to 1 odds. With winter upon him, he must act quickly or else him and his army will starve and face the humiliation of capture. Little does he know that the victory of today shall be an eternal shame to his foes._

This day was going to be a most dire day that much Iroh, Lord of the Fire Nation and Rightful heir to the coasts of Yue, knew.

Hadn't the Earth noblemen and the Earth King denied him so blatantly his birthright to the territories just opposite of his home nation? Those lands were entitled to him through his mother and lawfully given as dowry when she wed his father. Hadn't those territories be now a third of what the Earth King directly controls and hadn't it be he lost such great numbers taking Yu Dao from the Earth men, this would had not come to pass.

Corrections below:

But had he had it his way; all would just stay at home and he would've settled this with a marriage to one of King Wu's daughters. And some assassins to make sure she, and therefore he, would inherit the Earth Kingdom throne.

His generals are restless and so is he. Odds 5 to 1 and they're all fresh. This won't be a battle where he can count on the Earth Army to turn tail and raise the white flag with some bravado. Any chance of winning lies on playing this smart and bleeding them, slowly.

But Iroh knew either way, he'll rue this day, ever since the carnage in Yu Dao, he loathed war and wished nothing but his lands and peace.

Putting on his armor and leaving his tent trying to be calm was the first part of plan that would evolve through this day as Raava wished. But if only he could only have gotten out of Yu Dao before the rains of winter started, the mud wouldn't have slowed him down and this battle would've been in fairer conditions to him.

As he approached his generals he could sense both the smell of last night's rain and the fear mixed with them in a mix that made a scent like no other Iroh had ever known.

His cousin Lu Ten was the most desperate of them all, for he kept glancing the horizon with fear as the Earth Cavalry went towards its position, ostrich-horses sinking in the watered clay of the field.

"Oh, but if we only had here but 10,000 of those men in the Fire Nation that rest today!" Lu Ten finally aired the common thought of Iroh's generals; and Iroh could not agree more, but they were facing the Earth Army with these men and these men only.

"What's that you're wishing, my cousin Lu Ten?" Iroh tried to comfort his men, who'd lightened up at the voice of their king "No, my beloved cousin. If we are marked to die, we're enough to do that here"

 _ **Bad way to start the day, Iroh. Think of something to inspire your men. Can't hurt to inspire them to fight to the last man.**_

"But if to live? The fewer men, the greater share of honor, Lu ten! Raava willing I'll have not one man more." _**That's better.**_

"Rather, proclaim it Azulon, through my host that he who lacks stomach to this fight is free to leave. I'll put coins in his purse for convoy and wish him farewell!" _**That way if I die, the Earth King won't profit from my fall.**_

"I will not die in the company of men that fear to die with me" Iroh could see his men gathering near him to draw inspiration from what words he said to his generals.

"Today, in the Fire Nation everyone rests as it is Kyoshi's day. And I'll assure you this, my dear fellows who marched with me to Yu Dao and back; He who sees the sunset of this day shall stand fast when this day is named!" _**Either victory or defeat, this day shall be remembered, for I'll rather be victorious or be slain today.**_

"He who outlives this day and goes home safe, will remember the name of Kyoshi!" Iroh turned and talked to the common men that stood with him, not only to day, but in Yu Dao and the carnage that meant to take it. He could see the same scars in them that he now bared.

"He, that shall live this day and see old age, will yearly on the eve feast his neighbors as he tells them 'Tomorrow is Kyoshi's day!'" _**This celebration means only rest, but Raava willing I'll make it a day to rejoice should she show me the way.**_

"You'll raise your sleeves and show your scars and proudly say 'This I earned in Kyoshi's day!'" As King Iroh talked a small fragile flame was ignited in all his men. They could win this; the King knew how.

"Old men forget and loose the line of time, but you'll remember with clarity what feats occur today! All our names, familiar in your mouths as household words! Iroh the King, Lu Ten and Azulon, Senbai and Beifong, Landsord and Tao will flow from your mouth like wine from cups, all freshly remembered" _**Where did I came up with such a good speech I'm starting to believe it myself? I do not know.**_

"Said story will all you good men teach your sons. And unremembered Kyoshi's shall never go by, from this day to the ending of the world, and we in it shall all be remembered." Iroh glanced at his common foot soldiers and could see their will to die for him just as marked as Iroh's own will to vanquish the Earth men at any cost.

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." Iroh placed his hand upon a bowman's shoulder and his face lit up as if he had seen Raava herself. "For he who sheds his blood today with me shall be my brother; no matter how humble his birth, today will make him a noble in my eyes."

Iroh rapidly turned and looked at Lu Ten, who now had lost all his doubts and replaced them with hope and courage. "And gentlemen in the Fire Nation, now asleep, shall think themselves cursed for they were not here! For their manhood's will mean nothing whenever he speaks to one that fought with us upon Kyoshi's day!"

 _The Firemen roared so proudly and confident that even the Earth Army heard them, and startled, King Wu's ostrich-horse dropped him, making his men fear such awful omen._

"Sire, we must act hastily! The Earth men at full speed soon shall be upon us!" Lao Beifong said inspired to live and die for his King.

"All to your posts, my brave men!" Iroh said and his army, and roaring went.

 _ **And as Raava pleases so, dispose the day. If only this damned mud didn't stopped us from…**_

 _ **The mud! By Raava's grace, the mud! This instrument, wet clay more than anything; used to build castles!**_

 _ **With it, I'll build my victory.**_

 _And ever since that day the Earth Army learned at the cost of 10,000 of their men to fear mud almost as much as to rue Kyoshi's day; for their dead by the mud were set and the firemen the blow delivered in such a dreadful and mighty day as it was, The First Kyoshi's day that went by as more as a day of rest._

Another A/N: Cursive letter is meant to be Choir, the man that narrates the events in Henry V and the text in thick black is meant to be Iroh's inner thoughts.


End file.
